Device for stretching wire



Dec. 30, 1952 M WAGNQN 2,623,730

DEVICE FOR STRETCHING WIRE I Filed Aug. 29, 1949 Francis M. Wagnan,

INVENTOR.

MW EM Patented Dec. 30, 1952 DEVICE FOR STRETCHING WIRE Francis M.Wagnon, Elmer, Okla.

' Application August 29, 1949, Serial No. 112,849

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire stretchingdevices and the primary object of the present invention is to provide adevice for stretching a pair of fence wires and for tying the wirestogether while they are held under tension.

Another very important object of the present invention is,to provide awire stretcher composed of a frame having a lug thereon for anchoringoneend of a fence wire thereto and a rotary shaft adapted to receiveanother wire so that as the shaft is rotated both wires will betensioned. v

' A further object of the present invention is to provide a wirestretcher that is extremely small and compact in structure to permit thesame to be carried and handled in a convenient manner.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a wirestretching device that is simple and practical in construction, strongand reliable in use, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

The single figure shows a perspective view of the present invention andtwo wires applied thereto so that the wires may be tensioned and tiedtogether.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of thisinvention, the numeral l represents a substantially U-shaped framemember having a web portion l2 and a pair of leg portions I4 and I6joined by the web portion l2.

The leg portions [4 and 16 are provided with registering openings [8 inwhich a shaft 22, having a crank handle 24, is journalled for rotation.The shaft 22 supports a ratchet 26 and a pawl 28 pivoted to the legportion 14 engages the ratchet 26 to retain the shaft 22 in a selectedrotated position.

An arcuate extension 30 is provided on the leg portion l6 for embracinga fence post, tree or the like and the free end 30a of this extension isfixed by welding or the like to an undulated guide member 32 havingrecesses 34. The guide member 32 is preferably composed of a pluralityof U-shaped elements 32a having their adjacent leg portions welded orotherwise secured together.

A fence post or tree embracing yoke 36 is rigidly secured between theleg portions l2, l4 and this yoke also reinforces and strengthens theframe member w. The yoke 36 includes upper and lower smoothly curvedportions 38 and 40 forming a seat for a fence post or tree.

An anchoring lug 42 is integrally formed with and projects laterallyfrom the web portion l2 and includes an overhang 42a on its outer face.

This lug 42 is preferably formed by a pair of spaced notches 64 and 46in the web portion l2. e t

In practical use of the present invention, for tensioningand joining thefree ends of a pair of fence wires 48 and 50 that are attached to spacedposts, the wire 48 is extended through one of the recesses 34 and itsfree end is formed with a loop 48a that is slipped over the overhang 42ato em brace the lug 42. The wire 48 passes outside the yoke 36 andoverlies the leg portion l4.

Next, the free end of the wire 58 is extended through the loop 48a,passes through a transverse bore 22a in the shaft 22 and is knotted ortwisted to remain in the bore 22a.

As the shaft 22 is rotated to wind the wire 50 thereon, both wires 48and 56 are tensioned or stretched. Then, the member 32 is released fromthe wire 48, the frame member is swung horizontally toward the wire 50,to form a loop in the wire 50 engaged with the loop 48a, and the framemember, is then rotated about the wire 50 to secure the free ends of thewires 48 and 50 together.

After the wires have been tied together, a suitable tool may be employedfor cutting the wire 50 from the shaft 22.

The above procedure is also followed if the extension 30 and yoke 36embrace a tree or fence post, however, the extension 36 and yoke 36 mustfirst be removed from the post by a manual pull on the frame member sothat the frame member can be moved to permit the post to pass betweenthe member 32 and the rear end of the leg portion [4.

The device is also capable of being used to stretch a single wire, suchas wire 48, and when used in this capacity, the wire 48 is attached tothe shaft 22 and a fence post is received in the seat formed by portions38 and .5. The wire also extends under the portion 40 so that as thewire is tensioned, by rotation of the shaft, the frame member ID will besupported on the wire and the upper edge of 3 the wire may be easilyattached to a post embraced by the yoke 36.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. A device for stretching and anchoring a pair of fence wirescomprising an elongated frame member including a Web portion and a pairof spaced leg portions joined by said web portion, a yoke joining andstrengthening said leg portions, an arcuate extension integrally formedwith one of said leg portions and coacting with said yoke for embracinga supporting structure, a guide carried by said extension, a lug risingfrom the web portion of said frame member for receiving the looped endof a wire extending through said guide, and a shaft journalled forrotation on said leg portions for receiving another wire extendingthrough the looped end of a wire anchored 'on said 111g.

2. A wire stretcher comprising an elongated V-shaped'frame memberinciuding a pair of rearwardly diverging leg portions and a web joiningthe forward ends of said le portions, a postembracing yolre permanentlyfixed between said leg portions at the rear ends of said leg portions, arearwardly extending arena-Ce extension integrally formed with one legportion of said member and coacting with said yoke for embracing a post,ananchoring lug rising from said web portion, guide means carried bysaid extension, and a shaftjournaled for rotation on said frame member,said shaft adapted to receive a Wire e;xtending rearwardly past saidlug, said yoke ineluding a portion rising from the frame member andadapted to form a slide surface for a wire extending forwardly throughsaid guide means and attached to said lug.

3. A device for stretching wire comprising a substantially V-shapedframe including first and second leg portions and a web portion joiningsaid leg portions, a yoke joining said leg portions remote from said webportion and having a concave recess for receiving a supportingstructure, an arcuate extension on said first leg portion and coactingwith said yoke for embracing a supporting structure, said extensionincluding a rear end spaced from the second leg portion of said frame toprovide a space whereby the device may be disposed about a supportingstructure, guide means attached to the rear end of said extension, ananchoring lug on said web portion for receiving a wire extending throughsaid guideimeans and past the yoke, and a shaft rotatably supported bysaid leg portions for" engaging a wire extending past the lug andengaged with the wire anchored on. said lug.

FRANCIS M. WAGNON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,204,277 Kasprzyk Nov. "1, 19161,318,078 Hettinger Oct. 7, 1919 1,747,812 Barsch Feb. 18, 1930 2,9203%Durr Nov. 5, I935

